4th Grade Math Discussion

Week 7 Assignment 2 – Discussion Creation

Rationale for this discussion:

Since I teach 4^th grade math, I wanted to make a discussion that I could use next year in my own classroom to try and create more online activities in a traditional classroom.  To do this, I wanted to make a connection to the 4^th grade math curriculum.  In our school district, they use a computer program called ST Math where they have to solve math problems to move a little cartoon penguin named JiJi across the screen.  I use this program a lot for my Math Talk in our classroom to make connections to our math concepts.  ST Math makes visual connections to the math concepts for the students.  I would like to have a discussion at the beginning of the school year to show how we will use JiJi during our math talk.  Below, I pasted in some pictures to be able to make the connection to the discussion.  In 4^th grade, we work extensively with multi-digit multiplication.  Before we start working on multi-digit multiplication, we review basic one digit multiplication.  It is a good place to use JiJi as a discussion topic to see who gets the basic concept of multiplication before we move into multi-digit multiplication. 

Discussion:

In 4^th grade, we will continue to work with multiplication that you have learned in 3^rd grade.  But before we move forward, I would like to see how well you understand the concept of multiplication.  Below, is a picture of a math problem that you might see on JiJi.  You have to put shoes onto the robots so they will move out of the way of JiJi.  We will discuss how two different kids solved the math problem and which of the students is correct.  Study the picture below and think about how you would solve the problem.

Now, I would like you to think about how you would solve this problem.  But, you can’t just say the answer.  Please provide a math sentence (ex. 3+2=5) on how you would solve the problem and some reasoning to why you would solve it that way.  Then I would like to compare how you would solve it to each student who solved it below.  Explain which student completed the problem correctly and which student completed the problem incorrectly.  Finally, I would like you to give reasoning to why the student got it incorrectly. 

Student 1:

Student 2:

Finally, you will need to read and respond to two other student’s postings.  I am looking for each student to behave appropriately while responding to their fellow students.  An appropriate response would be one of the following:

• ·       Build onto what they have posted.  Add your own thoughts to what they have said.
• ·       Ask them how they got their answer.
• ·       Offer your opinion on their posting. 
• ·       Give some feedback to their work by sharing your experience with the question.
• ·       Ask them a question you might have about their posting.

 

All of these activities are due by Wednesday after school.  I will check the postings by 8 p.m.

Scoring Rubric:

Math - Problem Solving : 3x5=?
Teacher Name: Andrew Norkoli
Student Name:     ________________________________________
CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Mathematical Concepts	Explanation shows complete understanding of the mathematical concepts used to solve the problem(s).	Explanation shows substantial understanding of the mathematical concepts used to solve the problem(s).	Explanation shows some understanding of the mathematical concepts needed to solve the problem(s).	Explanation shows very limited understanding of the underlying concepts needed to solve the problem(s) OR is not written.
Mathematical Reasoning	Uses complex and refined mathematical reasoning on why Student 1 was correct and Student 2 was incorrect.	Uses effective mathematical reasoning on why Student 1 was correct and Student 2 was incorrect.	Some evidence of mathematical reasoning on why Student 1 was correct and Student 2 was incorrect.	Little evidence of mathematical reasoning on why Student 1 was correct and Student 2 was incorrect.
Mathematical Reasoning	Uses complex and refined mathematical reasoning on why Student 1 was correct and Student 2 was incorrect.	Uses effective mathematical reasoning on why Student 1 was correct and Student 2 was incorrect.	Some evidence of mathematical reasoning on why Student 1 was correct and Student 2 was incorrect.	Little evidence of mathematical reasoning on why Student 1 was correct and Student 2 was incorrect.
Mathematical Errors	90-100% of the steps and solutions have no mathematical errors.	Almost all (85-89%) of the steps and solutions have no mathematical errors.	Most (75-84%) of the steps and solutions have no mathematical errors.	More than 75% of the steps and solutions have mathematical errors.
Working with Others	Student was an engaged with 2 students\' postings, posting to their discussion posting with an appropriate response.	Student was an engaged with 1 students\' postings, posting to their discussion posting with an appropriate response.	Student cooperated with others, but didn\'t post to their discussion postings appropriately.	Student did not respond to other students\' discussion postings.

Plagiarism Detection and Prevention

Plagiarism Detection and Prevention

Traditionally, whenever someone thinks about the online learning environment, they think about how easy it would be to cheat in that environment.  As a student and an instructor in the past, I have never had the desire to cheat or to worry about my students cheating.  In our video this week, Dr. Pratt and Dr. Palloff discuss the topic of cheating and plagiarism in the online learning environment.  During the video, they made the point that “learners cheat about as often in an online environment as they do in traditional environments (Laureate Education, 2010).”  To me, this makes a lot of sense.  As a student in the traditional classroom, I felt a lot more pressure to do well on the exams and midterms because they were your traditional assessments.  They were all based on memorization.  This anxiety to do well always made me consider making it easier for myself by cheating.  And I think this is what drives a lot of students to cheat or plagiarize their work in the first place.  They feel an intense pressure that they can’t remember the material that is presented on the exams.  So how do we change this feeling or pressure for our students to cheat or plagiarize?  We, as the instructors, change how we assess our students.

As the instructor, there are a few responsibilities to help their students not cheat.  It is up to the instructor to educate their students about copyright, fair use, plagiarism and cheating (Laureate Education, 2010).  Many students don’t realize that they can’t use pictures from websites without giving credit to the source.  They might also fail to realize that using little quotes or sayings from an author or video is also considered plagiarism.  It is important for the instructor to inform their students that copying and pasting from a website is considered plagiarism (Laureate Education, 2010).  Many students also try to re-use their work from a different course to limit working so much on the material.  They don’t realize that using their previous work is considered cheating (Laureate Education, 2010).  Again, it is up to the instructor to educate their students that reusing their work is not going to be allowed. 

If an instructor is still worried about cheating and plagiarism, there are many tools out there to help them keep this under control.  While working through this program at Walden, I have used the tool that is on our submission page.  This tool looks through your page to make sure that your submission is authentic and isn’t from another source.  As a student, it is nice to be able to check your work before you submit it for grading.  From an instructor’s perspective, I would think that it would be convenient to be able to have this tool to check each student’s work for authenticity.  Without this tool, it would be impossible to make sure every page turned in is authentic.   

Our job as instructors is to prepare our students for the real world.  In the real world, we are allowed to use many tools to help solve our daily problems in our profession.  Dr. Palloff and Dr. Pratt made great points about how creating assessments that check for real world skills can help alleviate the desire to cheat.  When I reflect on my years as an online student, I know that this program has been enjoyable because it has allowed me to use my problem solving skills to show that I have acquired the knowledge in a course.  In this program, I have not had one assessment that was like a traditional quiz or test.  This has helped eliminate my anxiety completely because I have felt like I am being assessed as a professional, not as a student. 

When all is said and done, the instructor can play a big role in preventing their students from cheating or plagiarizing.  They can inform their students what actually constitutes cheating or plagiarism.  The instructor can also design their assessments to incorporate more problem solving skills that mirror real life scenarios of the professional world.  With careful planning and clear expectations, the instructor can help students eliminate the need or desire to cheat.

Resources:

-          Laureate Education (Producer).  (2010).  Plagiarism and cheating [Video file].  

Technology and Multimedia Impact on Online Learning Environments

Technology and Multimedia Impact on Online Learning Environments

Technology has a considerable impact on the online learning environment.  This statement might be a very obvious statement to some people.  But with my experience as an instructor and a student in the online environment, the technology and multi-media don’t make the online learning environment.  That job is up to the instructor.  In my opinion, technology is a tool for the teacher to use in the online learning environment.  Similarly, in the traditional learning environment, the book based curriculum is the tool used by the teacher.  The traditional learning environment is created and supported by the teacher in that environment.  If a school wants to create an effective online learning environment and they just focus on buying the newest technology, they will be dropping the ball on creating the effective online learning environment. What really makes an effective learning environment is an effective teacher using the available technology appropriately.  With that being said, there are some important considerations for teachers to consider when incorporating technology into the online learning environment.   

In the past, I taught for one year in an online K-8 school in our district.  I was the Language Arts teacher for K-6 grade.  During this time, I quickly realized the importance of understanding our Learning Management System (LMS).  In our textbook by Boettcher and Conrad, they made a very good reason why getting to know your Learning Management System is so important.  They said, “You as the faculty mentor serve as the hub, the host the glue of the learning community (Boettcher and Conrad, 2010).”  If you are struggling with the Learning Management System you will struggle to be successful as a teacher in my opinion.  Many Learning Management Systems come with effective tools readily available for the teacher.  At the time, our school was using Moodle for our LMS.  Moodle was a great platform because of the multiple tools available for use.  Moodle had a gradebook, a quiz or test generator, a discussion platform and allowed teachers to embed video and audio directly into the webpage.  At the time, the embedding tool was very helpful because it helped the teachers make the videos available for viewing without worrying about the video format.

Another consideration when incorporating technology into the online environment is utilizing the web 2.0 tools available.  In our video this week with Dr. Pratt and Dr. Palloff discussed the different Web 2.0 tools that are available.  The big difference between a standard technology tool and a Web 2.0 tool is the sense of community that it creates (Laureate Producer, 2010).  A good example of the community a Web 2.0 tool brings is a Wiki.  Wiki’s allow students located in different places to collaborate together on creating a web-page of information (Laureate Producer, 2010).  Allowing for collaboration is a great idea for the online environment.  According to Boettcher and Conrad in our textbook, “tools with social networking features that support new collaborative and constructivist pedagogies that encourage peer-to-peer linking, commenting, and messaging (Boettcher and Conrad, 2010).”  In a traditional classroom, collaboration is very easy because you have the opportunity to meet face-to-face.  In the online environment, getting the students to collaborate is a little more difficult.  Utilizing Web 2.0 tools like a Wiki allow for the students to work together and collaborate even when they live far apart. 

The usability and accessibility are another important consideration when incorporating technology into the online learning environment.  Many times, the new technology that comes out to us as teachers is so new that many of our students don’t have the ability to use the new technology.  In our video this week, Dr. Pratt brought up a good point about internet connections speeds in rural towns.  In some of these rural towns, citizens are using dial up for their internet connection.  Many Learning Management Systems will be unavailable to students using a dial up connection (Laureate Productions, 2010).  This is an important consideration for an instructor to think about before using new technologies.  Another thing that should be considered is your video format when uploading to your webpage.  From personal experience in the past, using a Learning Management System that allows you to embed the video directly into the webpage allows for students to access the video with less complications.  If you just put the video up as a downloadable file, then some students who are using a different software might not be able to view the video.  Embedding the video into the webpage allows students to view the video if they can view the webpage. 

For me, as I move forward in my career as an Instructional Designer, there are three tools that are very intriguing to me.  First is the use of blogs.  While working through this program at Walden, I have enjoyed posting to my blog on a regular basis and reading fellow student’s blogs.  This has allowed us to interact socially and professionally even when we live in different states.  I have also enjoyed using a RSS Reader to keep me updated on the new professional development opportunities out there for an elementary school teacher.  The reader filters out any blogs that I enjoy and allows me to see when they are updated regularly.  Another technology tool I am excited for is the ability to find or create video to go with your lesson.  For the visual learners, it is extremely helpful to have a visual component with each lesson.  Many students make a stronger connection to the material when there is a visual component.  Learning Management Systems are now making it more feasible for instructors to embed their video directly into the webpage to make the video more accessible.  I have fought the format battle in the past with videos and it is not enjoyable.  The new technology tool I am most excited about is the idea of using a voice cast or a pod cast for your instruction.  In our video, Dr. Pratt and Dr. Palloff discussed with one of the panelists about how he uses it in his online environment (Laureate Productions, 2010).  Allowing the students to communicate with audio or video opens up new doors that gets me very excited. 

In the end, using technology in the online environment is just a tool for the instructor.  It can help you become more effective in your teaching.  Having the mindset that technology alone will make your teaching online more effective is a dangerous mindset.  Good lesson design with many of tools in your tool-box is the way I want to teach in the future!

Resources:

-        Boettcher, J.V., & Conrad, R. (2010).  The online teaching survival guide:  Simple and practical pedagogical tips.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

-        Laureate Education (Producer).  (2010). Enhancing the online experience [Video file].  

Setting up your online learning environment

Setting up your online learning environment

When setting up your online learning environment, there are some important steps that need to be taken carefully by the instructor.  First of all, as the instructor, you need to be familiar with your Learning Management System.  This is where you class or course will be accessed by your students.  In order to deliver an effective class, the instructor needs to know the ins and outs of their Learning Managements System.  There are many Learning Management Systems on the market today.  Some systems are Blackboard, Schoology and Moodle.  When learning your Learning Management System, there are some tips that you can follow to be successful. 

In our textbook, The Online Teaching Survival Guide, they gave some tips on getting to know your Learning or Course Management System.  They suggest that you become familiar with setting up the following items:  requesting or arranging the course template, uploading documents and pictures, uploading and revising documents, setting up and creating discussion forums, setting up and using grade book, and setting up teams and groups (Boettcher and Conrad, 2010).  I have had experience with working in an online learning environment as an instructor.  I can tell you from firsthand how important this tip is from Boettcher and Conrad.  While working as a K-6 English Language Arts teacher, I found out quickly how important it is to know your Learning Management System.  I would make an analogy to a person’s spine or backbone.  The Learning Management System is so important to your class and as the instructor you need to know how to use it effectively as the instructor.  If you are able to modify it efficiently and effectively, you will be able to focus on the engagement of your learner and not the workings of the system.  That year, we had a fellow teacher that was struggling with the Learning Management System.  In October, we decided to do a professional development for our staff to familiarize them with the system.  It was great to hear the positive feedback from her a few weeks after the training.  She was so relieved to be able to focus on the learning and not on the manipulation of the platform. 

When setting up your online class expectations, it is extremely important to make sure these expectations are very clear to your learners.  In a traditional classroom, this is a little easier to do because you are working with the kids in a face-to-face manner.   You can restate your expectations many times throughout the first few weeks.  But in the online environment, you don’t have the daily face-to-face interactions you have in a traditional classroom.  In our textbook, Boettcher and Conrad gave a great tip on stating your classroom expectations.  They said that along with communication expectations, you should also include your expectations on classroom participation logging into the course, discussion expectations, and the length of posts and assignments (Boettcher and Conrad, 2010).  Setting clear expectations from the start can help and instructor get what they are expecting from the student from the beginning.  It is also important in my opinion that the instructor can change the expectations during the course.  If the instructor wants to change these expectations, it is extremely important to communicate these changes in many different ways.  You can post to the discussion board, send out an email to the students, or even post it as an announcement on the homepage. 

In the Boettcher and Conrad text, they gave another great tip that I feel makes a whole lot of sense in setting up your online learning environment.  They spoke about hitting the ground running in your first week (Boettcher and Conrad, 2010).  One of the tips within this chapter, talked about if an instructor should contact the students prior to the course start date (Boettcher and Conrad, 2010).  I think this is a great tip for every online instructor to consider.  Many students are nervous when starting their online course because it is not your traditional way of learning.  Many times, students will be taking an online course for the first time.  In my opinion, as the instructor, it is your job to make the students feel comfortable just as if you were in a traditional classroom.  When an instructor reaches out to the students prior to the course start date, it helps show the students that the instructor is approachable and available to answer questions or provide help during the course.  During my year of working online, I wish I would have done this prior to the first day of school.  Interacting with the students in the online environment could have helped me make a stronger connection with the students.  It could have helped the students see that I was available for them at times other than just traditional school hours.

When setting up your online learning environment, I feel that familiarizing yourself with your Learning Management System if your top priority.  Feeling comfortable with the system will allow you to focus on the learning content instead of the technical side of the system.  Setting clear expectations for your classroom is another top priority for the instructor.  The students must know what is expected of them for your classroom.  Finally, helping make the students feel comfortable in the online environment is another top priority for the instructor.  If the students feel comfortable, then they will be willing to take chances while learning. 

Resources:

-        Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010).  The Online Teaching Survival Guide.  San Francisco, CA:  Jossey-Bass

What is an online learning community?

An online learning community is a fascinating topic for me because this idea of online instruction has changed a lot over the past 10 years.  Around that time, I was taking my teacher licensure classes online and the program felt almost like a traditional classroom just moved onto the computer.  In the video “Online learning communities,” Dr. Palloff and Dr. Pratt discuss what makes up an online learning community.  The online learning communities consist of three main parts: People, Purpose and Process (Laureate Education, 2010).  These three items must be present to have an online learning community.  The online learning community must also have some other items that must be present for the community to exist.  There must also be a method and a social presence for the community to exist (Laureate Education, 2010). 

In my experience in the past as a student and as an instructor in an online learning community, the creation of the community takes work from everyone in the class.  The instructor plays a key role in this process, but the students must also be involved to help create the sense of community.  Dr. Palloff said in our video, the instructor is “the guide on the side, not the sage on the stage (Laureate Education, 2010).”  That is an accurate definition of the instructor’s role in the online learning community.  The instructor has to guide the students down the path of learning and not just stand in front of the class like the traditional classroom.  “Learning communities create a dynamic where facilitators and learners are equal participants (Laureate Education, 2010).”  There must be a give and take from everyone involved in the class to create this dynamic environment a place to learn. 

Overtime, there needs to be some work to sustain this learning community.  A lot of this responsibility will fall on the shoulders of the instructor.  During the time of the course or learning module, the instructor needs to help keep the learning environment engaging and exciting for the students.  The true power of the learning community online comes from the learner-to-learner engagement (Laureate Education, 2010).  In my past experience, the classes that seemed to have no sense of community where in the classes where the instructors interacted with us on an irregular basis.  There was one class where the instructor would log in on Thursday after the discussion was due on Wednesday and just post replies to our posts.  Then on Sunday, that instructor would log in again and just grade our work.  There was never a continuation of the dialogue that was going on in the discussion area.  I have had an opposite experience of that with a course in my Master’s program.  During this class, the instructor logged in multiple times a week and made comments to keep the conversations going or to change the direction of the conversation to enhance our learning.  My learning from the latter class was undeniably more because of that regular engagement with our professor. 

In order to have effective online learning, there needs to be a sense of community in my opinion.  Dr. Pratt and Dr. Palloff discussed the benefits of creating the sense of community in the online learning environment.  When there is a sense of community, the student satisfaction increases, learning occurs, the students feel like they are a part of something larger and there is a social pressure to succeed in the class (Laureate Education, 2010).  If our goal as educators is to have our students learn, then we want to create the ideal learning environment for them to be successful in obtaining that goal.  Creating a sense of community has always been a part of the traditional brick and mortar classroom.  Teachers work hard to make their students feel comfortable and a part of the “family.”  If we work hard to do that in a traditional classroom, whey wouldn’t we work hard to create that in the online environment?

Resources:

Laureate Education (Producer). (2010).  Online learning communities [Video file].